18th September 2025
By Joseph Kelly, Kelly Workplace Lawyers
Can I Swear in the Workplace?
We all love a bit of salty language sometimes, but is it OK to use it at work?
The answer is ‘yes, no and maybe’.
Can I swear if I’m the boss?
This is fast becoming a hard “no”.
Given an employer’s responsibility to provide a safe workplace, and eliminate psycho-hazards, an employee who uses language that is found to be “aggressive” or “confrontational” will be found to have provided a workplace that is unsafe and therefore engaged in conduct that is designed to force employees to resign: Ali v DMG Building & Electrical Services Pty Ltd [2025] FWC 1244.
So if you’re the boss, you are expected to be professional with your employees at all times and avoid using offensive or aggressive language. I mean, it’s 2025!! A good leader models the behaviour they want from their team, and that includes showing that communication can be clear and firm without resorting to swearing.
What if I’m the manager?
If you’re a manager who regularly swears at your subordinates, it won’t be long before you find yourself packing up your desk and taking the long walk of shame to the carpark.
While you may have a workplace where everyone swears, the issue is who you are swearing at. Swearing about a process that you find frustrating shouldn’t cause too many problems, but swearing at a co-worker in a way that looks like bullying will likely see you heading out the door. It is considered worse if you are swearing at a subordinate because of the power imbalance and the limited recall subordinates have to call out such behaviour: Dorsch v HEAD Oceania Pty Ltd [2024] FCA 162.
Managers in particular need to be aware that even casual or “joking” swearing can be misinterpreted, and once a complaint is made, it may be difficult to explain the intention behind the words.
What if I swear at a co-worker?
This will depend on the context and what was said. If the swearing was directed at the co-worker personally, and caused them to feel unsafe, then this behaviour is not allowed. Also, if the swearing is of a sexual nature then it may go beyond what is “commonplace” and instead constitute sexual harassment warranting immediate termination of employment.
Equally, repeated swearing at colleagues can create a “hostile work environment” even if not targeted at one person. What may feel like blowing off steam to you could be experienced as threatening or humiliating to others.
Conclusion
Calling a slow computer a “f’ing slow piece of crap” under your breath shouldn’t cause a problem, but saying the same thing about your co-worker is definitely not on.
Be respectful, be professional and be mindful that the way you talk to other people matters. A workplace culture that leaves swearing unchecked can quickly slide into a culture of disrespect, and that’s not good for anyone. Lock this away and you should be trouble free.
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